This Week's Updates

Dear Families,

Welcome to Term 4! I hope your children all well rested and ready for the final term of 2026. We are at three quarter time of the year. BTW, congratulations to all Brisbane Lions supporters; three in a row is an exceptional accomplishment!

I had the most wonderful time in the USA with my children, lots of fun, adventures, family time and sightseeing, including hiking 7000 feet high in Yosemite, cycling around Central Park, watching Shohei Ohtani play for the LA Dodgers, and seeing a number of deer in their natural environment. Undoubtedly though,the highlights of the trip were spending time with my children and experiencing their life in the cities they currently live in; Hollywood in LA and Williamsberg in NYC. I am very grateful to the staff of St James, especially Anita Dell'Orso and Josh Crowe who ensured that life at St James continued as usual, allowing me to enjoy the trip.

We are very excited to be welcoming our 2027 Prep students and their families this week with our Parent Information Night on Tuesday night and the first of our four transitions on Wednesday morning.

We are also excited to welcome new students to St James commencing this term; Alex in Year 1 and Paddy and Zoe in Year 2.

Last term we farewelled Billie Soane who moved to a school closer to her house. We wish Billy and her family all the best as Billie commences at her new school.

Baby News

Congratulations to Cassie McCafferty on the arrival of her baby, Teddy Alan McCafferty. Teddy was born just prior to the holidays. All reports are that mum and baby are going well.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Nova in Prep B on his Baptism over the school holidays.

Marathon Club

There is no marathon club this week. Marathon club will resume in Week 2 for our Year 3 - 6 students.

Specialist Timetable Changes this Week

There have been a few changes to the specialist timetable this week. Class teachers will notify you if a change of Phys Ed date has been made so that Sports Uniforms are worn on the correct days.

Scholastic Book Fair

Our 2026 Scholastic Book Fair will run from Tuesday 13th October to Friday 16th October (details on before and after school times will be provided next week). It is a great opportunity to start stocking up on Christmas presents with the added bonus that a percentage of all book sales will go towards resourcing our school library. Book prices start from $5.

School Uniform Reminders Including: Winter to Summer Changeover

As usual we will have a two week optional period where parents may choose the most appropriate uniform, then as of Monday 19 October, we will officially change to Summer Uniform.

Please also remember the following:

Permitted earrings: Only plain stud and sleeper earrings are allowed to be worn to school.
Other Jewellery Items: Any other jewellery items should be kept at home for safety and consistency across the school.
Runners & Shoes: School shoes should be worn every day expect for: (1) runners to be worn with sports uniform, (2) runners may be worn and kept on if attending Marathon Club
Sports Socks: These should be plain white (no logos) and visible above the runners.
Shorts and Dresses: Uniform shorts and dresses should fit comfortably and offer appropriate coverage
Hats: Are to be worn every time students are outside playing , at Phys Ed lessons or participating in other outdoor activities
Sunscreen may be applied prior to school and provided in the child's bag for self-application if and when required.

First Reconciliation Information Evening

Preparation for our Year Three students to receive this Sacrament are well under way and ramp up this week. The parent and child information evening is on this Thursday 8 October, 6 - 7pm at St John's Mitcham and the commitment masses for students to attend are on this weekend; Saturday 6pm, Sunday 9.45am and 11.15am.

2027 Classlists

Over the coming weeks, we will begin the process of organising student class placements for 2027. Our staff invests a significant amount of time, care, and thought into this lengthy process to ensure the best outcomes for every child.

If you have a specific request regarding your child’s social or emotional development, please email me directly at principal@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au no later than Monday, 26 October. To be considered, your email must include the valid reasons behind the request. Late requests cannot be considered.

Please note that these requests are strictly for well-being needs, not for selecting specific teachers. Furthermore, because students are divided into just two classes, requesting a separation from certain peers may inadvertently separate your child from other supportive friends who end up in the opposite room.

My advice is to trust our judgement, because we know and observe the students for many hours in many settings each week of the year.

St John's Parish Fete - 21st November

Raffle tickets for our annual Parish Fete fundraiser will go home this week. Please return your sold or unsold tickets by Friday, October 30 to enter the early bird draw for a chance to win a $50 voucher.

AFL at St James

We are pleased to announce that the AFL will be running an AFL Superkick program at St James in Term 4.

ST JAMES VERMONT PS SUPERKICK CENTRE

Season Dates:

Wednesday 4th November 3:40pm - 4:40pm

Wednesday 11th November 3:40pm - 4:40pm

Wednesday 18th November 3:40pm - 4:40pm

Wednesday 25th November 3:40pm - 4:40pm

The St James Vermont PS Superkick Centre is open for those who are in Prep through to Grade 6. As part of your registration for the program, participants will also receive a FREE football valued at $30. The cost of the program is $55.

We have on offer both a Mixed group and an ALL Girls Group (if numbers allow)!

Participants can register for the 4 week program either via the link below or via the QR code attached to the flyer. Register here now:

https://www.playhq.com/afl/register/6f5847

Farm Duty

A big thank you to all the families who volunteered to help with the farm during the break. Your support is greatly appreciated, and thanks to your care, all of the animals were wonderfully looked after.

We are now looking for volunteers to help with farm duty during Term 4. The role is simple and only takes a short amount of time each morning and again in the afternoon/evening. It's a great activity to do with your children, and as a thank you, you get to keep the fresh eggs!

If you're available to help on any of the weekends below, please email me at joanne.magnik@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au with the dates you can assist.

Sat 10th & Sun 11th October
Sat 17th & Sun 18th October
Sat 24th & Sun 25th October
31st, 1st, 2nd & 3rd November (Cup weekend)
Sat 7th & Sun 8th November
Sat 14th & Sun 15th November
Sat 21st & Sun 22nd November
Sat 5th & Sun 6th December
Sat 12th & Sun 13th December

Child Safe Standards

With the importance and commitment that we place on student safety as a school system, please take the time to read and familiarise yourself with the information in the

Child Safe Standard Six Parent/Carer Newsletter.

Upcoming P & F Events

Dad’s Night Out - Friday 16th October

Please book your place on CDF Pay, we’d love to see all the Dad’s there!! See flyer below for details.

Thank You!

Our footy pies day last term was popular and a successful day. Thank you to everyone who helped out on the day and also a big shout out to Crumbles Bakery in Heathmont for the hot food, and Wilton’s Cakes, Slices and Cookies in Endeavour Hills for the fun footy cookies!

Friday Treats

Icy poles are back from this Friday! They will be available to recess for 50c each.

Please volunteer to serve via this link - https://volunteersignup.org/CYPMC

Bunnings BBQ - 24th October Vermont South

Please support our school by either volunteering using the link below, or come and visit us on the day!

https://volunteersignup.org/8FM7Q

Have a great week ahead,

Dave